AMD's proposed dual-core duel would be a live, public performance evaluation between server platforms based on the dual-core Opteron 800 Series or 200 Series processors and the corresponding Intel product.

Should Intel accept AMD's challenge, the duel would take place at a public venue to be announced in the coming weeks, with testing conducted by a neutral, third-party testing lab.

"Since we launched Dual-Core AMD Opteron processors in April 2005, we've won every major industry-standard benchmark for x86 servers. AMD64 dual-core technology provides industry-leading performance, is easy to upgrade and is energy efficient," said Marty Seyer, corporate vice president and general manager of the Microprocessor Solutions Sector at AMD (Sunnyvale, Calif.), in a statement.

"We are giving our competitor a fair and open opportunity to challenge our clear market leadership in a public setting,” he said. “The gauntlet has been thrown down, it is time to cut through the
hype, and demonstrate who the industry's leader in x86 dual-core processing is today."